SpidersWeb Posted June 26, 2006 Report Share Posted June 26, 2006 Hey all, Getting excited as I have about $500 to spend this weekend, and already have the tank and lights! Woohoo! Want to do a semi-planted tank, and due to my horrible impatience, would love a C02 system. Now I'm aware all I need is probably a DIY system, but I want more accurate control, and preferrably a system that needs filling up only once a month or so. So I'm figuring pressurised CO2 is the answer. It'd be running at a low rate as I dont want to go crazy plant growth, but would like a little booster a reliable booster that wont fluctuate my pH unreliably as thats caused me enough problems as it is! Where do I go for this? I haven't seen the gear on the shelf at any LFS, I figured BOC gas'n gear would have the bits, but not too sure whats good, what I need etc. Can somebody pretty please recommend a solution to me, I don't really want to spend more than $200 on the C02. Whats good? Where do I get it from? Can I even do this on my budget? Also was thinking of one of those coil diffusers or maybe a pressured one as I have a spare powerhead, I imagine thats a LFS bit? Tank will be running a pair of 48" Fluro tubes (~14-16hrs a day). Any thoughts welcomed Thanks again, Jono (PS if anyone has bits for sale personally, feel free to mention them here or in PM) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fatdog Posted June 27, 2006 Report Share Posted June 27, 2006 Hi Jono, I went through this exercise a month or two back. We have a BOC just down the road from work so wandered down there one lunch time. Explained what I was after to a helpful bloke in the office. He reckoned to achieve a one bubble per second rate of flow, that I would need a regulator that was gonna cost about $1k and they only rent out the bottles. I found a CO2 regulator with a flow meter on TradeMe for $90 brand new, from a welding supply outfit up here in Auckland. I printed out the pic and took it across the road to Actron Fire Services. Very helpful guy here reckoned it could be done with a fire extinguisher. Biggest problem for him was getting the valve for the bottle as fire extinguishers don't have valves, just a trigger. Anyway, he found one for me, attached it to an aluminium 2.5kg bottle, filled and tested it for me, all for $100. I attached the reg, tested it and got the flow down to one bubble every three seconds. Now just need to make the reactor/diffuser... Good luck with it, PM me if you want any more details. Mason Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Faran Posted June 27, 2006 Report Share Posted June 27, 2006 We have a place pretty local that does 3.5kg bottles with new tap, cert and fill for around the $200 mark. As fatdog said, getting the taps is the hardest part as they're not sold any more. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Faran Posted June 27, 2006 Report Share Posted June 27, 2006 Oh, just found this on TradeMe. Not a bad deal for a regulator alone! http://www.trademe.co.nz/Business-farmi ... 299986.htm Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Faran Posted June 27, 2006 Report Share Posted June 27, 2006 And if you REALLY want to do it on the cheap - http://www.trademe.co.nz/Browse/Listing ... d=56285337 - $125 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luke* Posted June 27, 2006 Report Share Posted June 27, 2006 Some of the regulators need an additional "needle valve" to reduce the flow enough. I luckily found a dupla regulator designed specifically for tropical aquariums that has a fine point adjuster on the regulator. That cost $170 second hand, $1000 is a bit steep. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SpidersWeb Posted June 27, 2006 Author Report Share Posted June 27, 2006 And if you REALLY want to do it on the cheap - http://www.trademe.co.nz/Browse/Listing ... d=56285337 - $125 Thats pretty sweet actually. Local supermarket swaps the bottles for $9. Any idea on how long a soda stream bottle would last though? Also wanted a solenoid to switch the CO2 off. hmm guess I'm out of luck with the "<$200" idea Cheers for the replies! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob Posted June 27, 2006 Report Share Posted June 27, 2006 I'd suggest that if you're going for CO2 that you spring for another twin batton light too so that the plants can actually get the benefit of the CO2. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SpidersWeb Posted June 27, 2006 Author Report Share Posted June 27, 2006 ah nuts Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Faran Posted June 27, 2006 Report Share Posted June 27, 2006 Those sodastream bottles and regulators used to have a pressure gauge but the sellers have gone with a cheaper one now. Still a good price, tho. How long will it last? Depends on your rate of flow, etc etc. Off the top of my head it's a 250g bottle and rough estimate - you should expect it to last 2-4 weeks at 2 bubbles per second. Actually surprised that the $100 regulator isn't gone yet. Just saw a bidding war on one go up over $150 but I suppose both of those guys now have one! A budget under $300 for a system isn't too unreasonable if you're willing to bargain shop your butt off. The 2.5kg bottle mentioned above for $100 is a GREAT bargain as the local guys charged me $150 for a 1.8kg bottle. Guess that's the bennie of being in Aucks, tho. Oh, and a sodastream bottle won't fit on a normal regulator.... trust me, I've tried Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fishboi Posted June 28, 2006 Report Share Posted June 28, 2006 they still sell the regulator with the pressure gage for the soda stream bottles on their web site. 6th from the top http://www.toolsonline.co.nz/html/engineering1.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Faran Posted June 28, 2006 Report Share Posted June 28, 2006 Thanks for the heads up fishboi but I already e-mailed them and confirmed that the regulator doesn't have a pressure gauge any more. Shame, really. I would have been keen to get a few as I have a couple empty soda stream bottles laying around from when I tried to make a DIY CO2 system out of an old soda maker. Not recommended, btw. Very dangerous. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SpidersWeb Posted June 28, 2006 Author Report Share Posted June 28, 2006 Well regulator + soda stream bottle, $140, then a bubble counter and needle valve, bit of pipe, a diffuser and viola controlled CO2! Is that right? I'm liking the sound of this. Would make getting CO2 a lot easier to, just get it at groceries! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fishboi Posted June 28, 2006 Report Share Posted June 28, 2006 I have a couple empty soda stream bottles laying around from when I tried to make a DIY CO2 system out of an old soda maker me too , too bad about the regulators. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Faran Posted June 28, 2006 Report Share Posted June 28, 2006 Pretty much! Oh, spoke with JayCar about those solenoids and they're NOT recommended for pressurized applications, but I think I'm going to use them for a central air pump and turning off the bubbles during CO2 hours. Thanks for the idea! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SpidersWeb Posted June 28, 2006 Author Report Share Posted June 28, 2006 When you run your system, what is the pressure level gauge on the regulator showing (output, not bottle pressure)? If its feeding only 1psi etc that solenoid might be sweet. If its like 20psi it'll rip it up. I was planning on putting it between the regulator and the needle valve, although you could also put it immediately after the needle valve, just get a little burst when it turns on again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Faran Posted June 28, 2006 Report Share Posted June 28, 2006 The flow gauge is in L/min so there's no PSI value. If you know how to do the math; one of mine is at 6L/min and the other is at 3. Keep in mind that your setup will have no gauges at all so you're pretty likely to rip up one of those little guys. Just go without a solenoid for now and have an air pump on at night. That's what I've been doing in one of my tanks and it's sweet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SpidersWeb Posted June 28, 2006 Author Report Share Posted June 28, 2006 or could use something like this http://www.trademe.co.nz/Business-farming-industry/Farming/Irrigation-drainage/auction-61043288.htm to shut it off at night Think I might have a plan there. Make the CO2 last 50% longer for $18 Oh blue do you have a soda stream bottle I could buy for like $10? Its $75 for the reg, or $140 with the bottle from that guy. Supermarket swaps a new one for $9. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Faran Posted June 28, 2006 Report Share Posted June 28, 2006 Ball Valve? May as well just turn the needle valve off and back on every morning... the point of a solenoid is to have an automated system to do it for ya. Yes, solenoids save half the CO2 but my advice is don't try and half-arse it. The solenoids you need for CO2 systems are more expensive cuz CO2 needs non-corrosive materials like chrome and brass or whatever aluminium composite that the fire extinguishers use or you're gonna end up with something going "BOOM" or "POP" somewhere down the line. Same goes for tubing. More expensive as regular tubing will end up leaking all your CO2 before it gets to your tank. Best go with tried and proven systems rather than being a pioneer your first time out. I experiment with different stuff and test everything that I sell and trust me, you want the real thing or things can go real badly real quick! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SpidersWeb Posted June 28, 2006 Author Report Share Posted June 28, 2006 haha sweet as. Actually have no idea what a ball valve is, I just saw 'switch thing' haha. Oh well all good. I'll give you a bell some time next week about ordering some bits Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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